I’ve heard the 9-7 prediction for the Broncos, I think by you, too. And it sounded fair and accurate to my ears — until I looked at the schedule. Sure, there are tough games I’d mark as losses (at New England, at Carolina, at Baltimore). But three other toughies are really optimal for the Broncos (Pittsburgh and Houston at home; and New Orleans at home AFTER a bye week). If they split with the AFC West, I say they go 10-6, even 11-5. Or, with a stolen win, maybe 12-4.

–A.J., Brighton

You have three road losses against the Patriots, Panthers and Ravens. And then three losses against the AFC West. That’s six losses. You skipped Atlanta and Cincinnati on the road as tough games. Both were playoff teams last year.

The Broncos will, as you suggest, steal a win or two. Happens most every year. But they’ll also lose a game to an inferior opponent. Happens to every team, every year.

Each week the Broncos will have a chance to win because they have a quarterback who can beat anybody. I just don’t think when you line up those difficult opponents one after the other through the first nine games, the Broncos can start 6-3.

Schedule is one reason I’m not going higher than 9-7. Peyton Manning coming off a missed season because of injury as he plays at 36 with a new team, a new set of coaches and teammates, is another. I think his return to form will continue to be a gradual process. It looks promising. But it’s unrealistic to think he can be the MVP Manning of 2009 through the first nine games.

By the way, A.J., to extrapolate my prediction: Should 9-7 be enough for the Broncos to reach the playoffs (sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn’t), I can see them doing some damage. I can see them reaching the AFC championship game because, again, logic says Manning and the offense would become more efficient as the season goes on.

How much do the Broncos believe in Brock Osweiler? You normally expect your second round picks to be starters this year, so why not use that pick on someone who could help this team right away?

–Mitch, Kansas City

They like him. His blend of size, athleticism, arm strength and smarts is a rare package that can develop into something special. But he needs time. The grand plan is for Manning to help the Broncos win a Super Bowl within the next three years. And then in the year 2015, when Manning is 39 and Osweiler is still only 24, the Broncos re-evaluate.

Your second question, Mitch, was brought up countless times during, and in the days following, the draft. And the Broncos did deliberate. They did consider taking an offensive tackle, running back or best available defensive player at No. 57. But many of the second-round players they coveted fell off the board before No. 57. And Osweiler’s upside at the quarterback position, coupled with a greater degree of uncertainty surrounding Manning at the time, led the Broncos into taking the 6-foot-7 prospect from Arizona State.

The second of the Broncos’ second-round draft picks (Derek Wolfe, at No. 36 overall, was the first) is not expected to help them much. They do believe the Osweiler pick will eventually bring reward.

Mike, the DJ Williams situation is starting to bug me. Is there any indication of the Broncos’ plans for him? The only sense I can make of it is that they are keeping him as insurance. I just have to believe they are keeping DJ out of necessity at this point. Yes, he’s a good player, but he’s not worth all this trouble.

–Nick, Southern New Jersey

What’s wrong with insurance? There’s really no harm in keeping him. He’s gone from the Dove Valley premises through the first six games. The NFL is expected to dock him another game or two or four for his recent Driving While Ability Impaired conviction.

Let’s say I’m wrong in my prediction and the Broncos are 6-2 after eight games. Wesley Woodyard is the team’s leading tackler but is beat up. Keith Brooking is out a week with a groin pull.
In this scenario, the team could use Williams. And if John Elway and John Fox change their minds, they can always release Williams as he is returning from his suspension. Nothing paid, nothing hurt.

Had the Broncos released Williams before the season he possibly could have signed with another team and received a new playbook to post on Twitter before his suspension began. He might have signed with a team the Broncos play in the second half of the season.

But your frustration with Williams is understandable, Nick. He’s frustrated the Broncos’ bosses, too. Because of his troubles, he has hurt the Broncos’ chances of reaching the playoffs.

But it makes no sense to release him now.

Hey Mike, what do you think about Seneca Wallace, who was just released by Cleveland, as a backup to Peyton? He’s always looked like a solid backup while unfortunately playing for some really bad teams in Seattle and Cleveland. Has to be an upgrade to Caleb Hanie. Does keeping Hanie on the roster mean they aren’t out shopping?

–Dean Burney, Baltimore

I’ll get to Wallace in a minute, but first I’d like to sprinkle a little love on Hanie, who could use some. It’s my opinion that if Manning went down for two or three weeks with a banged up knee or something, Hanie could come in and win a game or two.

He hasn’t yet, although he’s only had four starts. Hanie maybe can’t win a game all by himself like Manning can, but he can manage the offense, move the chains, keep the defense off the field. He can go 15 of 26 for 190 yards and win 20-17.

He needs to feel blindside pressure a little more — and he will with more game experience. More importantly, he can’t have any more three-pick games, which he had three times in his four starts with the Bears last season.

As for Wallace, I’ll turn your theory around a bit. He was on two bad teams and couldn’t start for either. He’s talented, no doubt. But he’s 6-15 as a starter through seven seasons. Something else that needs to be taken into consideration is a major part of quarterbacking is understanding the offensive system. The quarterback has enough to think about even when he knows all the plays and everyone’s assignments. It just doesn’t make sense to replace a backup quarterback who is familiar with the offense with another backup who doesn’t know the offense.

I am surprised to hear that Syd’Quan Thompson was not added to the practice squad. Is his eligibility for the practice squad up or was he claimed by another team? Hard to get info on Broncos in a Bears town. GO BRONCOS! Love this website!

–Lyle, Chicago

Thompson played in 13 games as a rookie in 2010 — too many for practice squad eligibility. I wish Syd’Quan well. He’s a nice guy. Quiet guy. He worked hard to overcome his torn Achilles — which is about as difficult an injury that the speed-position of cornerback can overcome.

The Broncos’ practice squad omission that surprised me was linebacker Mike Mohamed. I thought Mohamed, a fifth-round draft pick in 2011, would be brought back instead of Cornelius Ingram, a “receiving” tight end on a team loaded with them.

But Ingram was kept because, with the suspension of Virgil Green, the Broncos only have three tight ends (Joel Dreessen, Jacob Tamme, Julius Thomas) on their 53-man roster, which is one less than usual. And Mohamed wasn’t kept because the 53-man roster has seven linebackers (Woodyard, Joe Mays, Von Miller, Steven Johnson, Danny Trevathan, Keith Brooking, Nate Irving), or one more than usual.

I read all the articles in the DP during preseason and was fairly pleased with what has happened with the team. Now that the initial 53 man roster is set I have a question. What is the difference between being waived and released?

–Jim Criswell, Kuwait

Thanks for reading. Players with less than four years of NFL service must first clear waivers. If they are claimed by a team, they are assigned to that team. If they are claimed by multiple teams, they are assigned to the team with the lowest priority number, which is listed according to won-loss record. The Broncos had the No. 2 waiver claim priority for much of last season. They are No. 25 so far this year.

Only if a player passes through waivers are they released to free agency. Players with at least four years service time are considered “vested veterans” and don’t have to mess with the waiver process. They are released to free agency where, in theory, they can pick from the most appealing of the interested teams, and are not subject to waivers where they are assigned to a team whether they like that team or not.

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.

MONTREAL — It’s a big deal to play or coach hockey in Montreal and Toronto, and for first-year Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, it’s bound to be extra special because it will be his first time in those historic Original Six markets. Indeed, the Canadian native from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, has never been to the Bell Centre or Air Canada Centre — where...

Shortly before the season began, Holmes, who had been dealing with a nagging hip since September, finally went in to get an X-ray to get the injury addressed. That X-ray revealed a mass on his hip, and following a biopsy, doctors diagnosed Holmes with Osteosarcoma.